Samsung and Google “furthered their long-term cooperative partnership” by signing a global patent cross-license agreement covering a range of technologies and business areas. The deal covers the two companies’ existing patents as well as those filed over the next 10 years, allowing each of the two parties to gain access to each other’s patent portfolios. According to Samsung, this will “pave the way for deeper collaboration on research and development of current and future products and technologies.”

“We’re pleased to enter into a cross-license with our partner Samsung,” said Allen Lo, Deputy General Counsel for Patents at Google. “By working together on agreements like this, companies can reduce the potential for litigation and focus instead on innovation.”

In related news, Samsung has settled its patent dispute with Ericsson, entering into another cross-license agreement relating to GSM, UMTS and LTE patents. These patents have been licensed on FRAND terms though the two companies declined to share intrinsic details. Ericsson said the agreement will include an initial payment and ongoing royalty payments from Samsung that will affect its financials for Q4 2013 and beginning of 2014.